Organisers have confirmed that the London - Surrey Cycle Classic Race will go ahead this Sunday, August 14 despite the recent disorder in London.

The race runs through Fulham, both on the outward and return routes and will therefore have a major impact on traffic and public transport throughout our borough.

The London-Surrey Cycle Classic, will see 140 international cyclists riding an 87 mile course in a dress rehearsal of the cycle road race, which will take place on July 28 and 29, during next year's Olympic Games. The race will include a strong home contingent, with the major names in British cycling expected to be taking part.

The event, which is managed by TfL and Olympic organisers LOCOG, promises to be an exciting spectacle for families, as well as for cycle racing fans but will cause significant disruption.

The race will start at 9am on Sunday August 14 and is expected to travel down Fulham Road at 9.05am. The cyclists will then ride down Fulham High Street and Putney Bridge before travelling through Wandsworth and Richmond and touring through the Surrey countryside. The riders will return the same way and are due to cycle back through Fulham at around midday.

In order for the race to take place, roads in Fulham will need to be closed. Fulham Broadway, Fulham High Street, Fulham Road, Putney Bridge Approach and Putney Bridge will all be closed from 4am on the morning of the race and reopened at around 3pm the same day at the earliest.

The roads need to be closed for such a length of time because the race starts and finishes at the same point. This time is also necessary to enable some 50 miles of barriers to be deployed to protect riders and spectators and for some minor highways work to take place. There will be a number of pedestrian crossing points along the route during the event.

Motorists are also being advised that they will not be able to park their vehicles anywhere on the route from midnight on the day of the event. Any parked cars will be towed away. TfL will be placing leaflets on cars that are parked on the route during the three Sundays before the race to advise owners of these restrictions.

 A number of local buses will be withdrawn between 4am and 3pm - they are routes 14,22 ,33, 74, 337, 430 and C3.

In addition, there will be changes to routes 9, 10, 11, 28, 39, 49, 52, 72, 85, 93, 148, 211, 220, 270, 295, 328, 345, 391, 414, 452, 493, C1.  You can find full details of how these routes are affected here.

There will also be a number of Tube closures for essential, major London Underground improvement works.  The Circle line will be closed, the Hammersmith & City line will be closed from Hammersmith to Baker Street and the District line will be closed from Earls Court to Edgware Road.  However, Fulham Broadway and Putney Bridge stations will both be open.

Full details of these closures are available here.

Leon Daniels, TfL’s Managing Director for Surface Transport, said:  “The London-Surrey Cycle Classic will play an important role in helping the capital, and its transport network, prepare for the summer of 2012.

“Road transport will be severely affected on the day, equivalent to having the London Marathon coming through south west London and Surrey, with many roads closed.  This is why we are strongly advising people to plan their travel for the day and to avoid driving in south west and central London if at all possible.”

Cllr Nick Botterill, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "We are all looking forward to this race coming to Fulham in a few weeks time but residents need to be aware that the event will bring severe disruption to the borough. It will be almost impossible to drive in Fulham on Sunday August 14 and residents need to plan ahead in order to minimise disruption.

" The council has been working closely with TfL and LOCOG to ensure that the event passes without hitch. However, if you are going to the airport to catch a flight or main line stations to catch a train on that day, or have some other appointment you must get to it is absolutely crucial that you add plenty of time onto your journey."

"Nevertheless, the event will be a fantastic opportunity for residents to see world class cyclists literally racing past their doorsteps and I am sure that there will be large crowds lining the route in Fulham."

If you have any queries, please contact TfL on 0845 305 1234 or visit TfL Test Event.

August 11, 2011